It’s no secret that a little more than half of all shoppers complete their transactions online. Subsequently, it’s foolish for any business to forego the creation of their own company website. But the urgency extends far beyond simply posting a website. Web design and management must meet the grade to convert visitors to customers.
Website Plus
The quality of your business’ website becomes an obvious factor when you consider that over 660 million commercial websites (and still counting) swim in the cyber ocean. Moreover, they covet exactly what you are coveting: a listing in the top tier of search engine results. Enter web design, which is very crucial to making your business successful.
However, creating an eye-pleasing site and just leaving it on the shelf is not enough. Just like a business’ inventory, your web design needs to be regularly updated and polished to keep up with the changing times—most specifically in regard to the ever-changing algorithms of search engine giants like Google.
Don’t Ignore Mobile Users
Whether you like it or not, shoppers will be judging your products or services based on how your website looks and how fast it responds. According to digital marketing studies, the number of consumers who use their mobile devices to perform internet searches continues to skyrocket. In fact, almost a quarter of all internet users access the internet only on their mobile devices.
A competitive business, especially those seeking a local market, flirts with suicide if its site fails to meet the needs of a mobile user while it meets the needs of traditional desktops and laptops. If you aren’t attracting the mobile crowd, you are strangling yourself of growth.
A Dip in Organic Traffic and Rankings
Want another signal that bodes doom and the need to overhaul your site’s design? A severe dip in your rank among organic search engine results. Gone were the days when keyword stuffing proved to be a shrewd tactic to phoenix in search results.
Because of greater sophistication in their algorithms, sites such as Google will declare your content as spam when such tactics are used. In other words, their crawlers and feelers can detect content that uses keywords in an unnatural or disjointed way. You are relegated to spam when such content is detected.
High Bounce Rates and Low Conversions
Lastly, high bounce rates and low conversions certainly indicate that your web design fails to meet the standard required to compete and succeed. Bounce rates amount to the percentage of visitors to your site who leave it after only viewing a single page; they refuse to navigate further. The conversion rate amounts to the percentage of visits which convert to actual sales.
As the old adage goes, first impressions are lasting impressions. The design of your company’s website can deeply affect your brand’s success. If you are not technically capable of monitoring and updating your site, hire an expert to do it for you. The cost? Your return of investment will extinguish any concerns over expense. Moreover, your overall business is at stake.
Sources:
Small Business Websites in 2017: Survey, Clutch.co
10 Small Business Website Errors That Drive Customers Away, Forbes.com